New York City is preparing for a major shift in the way it handles residential trash, with plans to replace nearly 30,000 curbside parking spaces with large communal garbage bins over the next several years. The initiative is part of the city’s broader strategy to keep sidewalks cleaner, reduce overflowing trash, and tackle its long-standing rat problem. Under the proposal, the Department of Sanitation plans to install about 66,000 “Empire Bins” across the city by 2032.